From 74992aaa27eb384128924c4a3b93052961a3eaab Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Christian Cleberg Date: Sat, 27 Apr 2024 17:01:13 -0500 Subject: test conversion back to markdown --- content/blog/2020-12-28-neon-drive.md | 95 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 95 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/blog/2020-12-28-neon-drive.md (limited to 'content/blog/2020-12-28-neon-drive.md') diff --git a/content/blog/2020-12-28-neon-drive.md b/content/blog/2020-12-28-neon-drive.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bce7223 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/blog/2020-12-28-neon-drive.md @@ -0,0 +1,95 @@ ++++ +date = 2020-12-28 +title = "Neon Drive: A Nostalgic 80s Arcade Racing Game" +description = "" +draft = false ++++ + +# Game Description + +[Neon Drive](https://store.steampowered.com/app/433910/Neon_Drive/) +presents itself as a simple arcade-style game inspired by the arcade +race games of the 1980s, yet it has managed to take up hours of my life +without much effort. The game description, directly from the Steam page, +is intriguing enough to entice anyone who\'s been looking for a good +arcade racing game: + +> Neon Drive is a slick retro-futuristic arcade game that will make your +> brain melt. You\'ve been warned. From beautiful cityscapes and ocean +> roads to exploding enemy spaceships, Neon Drive has it all. + +# Gameplay + +The game holds true to the +[retro-futurism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrofuturism) style, +including chrome female robots, pixelated arcade machines, and +[outrun](https://teddit.net/r/outrun/) aesthetics. + +Each level of the game is shown as a separate arcade machine. Each +arcade machine lets you play on Normal, Hard, Insane, Practice, and Free +Run. To beat each arcade, you must reach the end of the level without +crashing your car into the various obstacles on the course. Basic levels +let you move left or right to avoid blocks in the road. Later levels put +you through other tests, such as dodging traffic or blasting asteroids. + +The game uses synthwave music to keep you on track to make the correct +moves by timing the beats of the songs to the correct moves on the +screen. It reminds me of the early Guitar Hero games, as well as mobile +apps like VOEZ - repetition and staying on-beat is the only way to win. + +# In-Game Screenshots + +Taking a look at the main menu, you can see that Neon Drive plays into +every stereotype you can think of around retro-futuristic, synthwave +arcades (in a good way). + +![Neon Drive +Menu](https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20201228-neon-drive/neon_drive_menu.png) + +Once you get into the first level, we see that the choice of car fits +right in with the stereotypical cars of the 80s, like the +[DeLorean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMC_DeLorean) or the [Ferrari +F40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_F40). Each new level comes +with new color schemes and cars, so you should never get tired of the +aesthetic. + +![Neon Drive +Race](https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20201228-neon-drive/neon_drive_race.png) + +Personally, I love the orange and blue colors used in level 2: + +![Level +2](https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20201228-neon-drive/neon_drive_level_2.png) + +If you\'re the competitive type and getting 100% on all arcade machines +isn\'t enough, there are leaderboards for the regular part of the game, +and the endurance game mode. + +![Leaderboard](https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20201228-neon-drive/neon_drive_leaderboard.png) + +# Other Suggestions + +Neon Drive sits nicely within the well-founded cult genre of Outrun. +Other games that I\'ve enjoyed in this same spectrum are: + +- [Far Cry 3: Blood + Dragon](https://store.steampowered.com/app/233270/Far_Cry_3__Blood_Dragon/) +- [Retrowave](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1239690/Retrowave/) +- [Slipstream](https://store.steampowered.com/app/732810/Slipstream/) + +Although these games aren\'t necessarily in the same genre, they do have +aspects that place them close enough to interest gamers that enjoyed +Neon Drive: + +- [Black Ice](https://store.steampowered.com/app/311800/Black_Ice/) +- [Cloudpunk](https://store.steampowered.com/app/746850/Cloudpunk/) +- [Need for Speed: + Heat](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1222680/Need_for_Speed_Heat/) +- [VirtuaVerse](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1019310/VirtuaVerse/) + +Of course, if all you really care about is the arcade aspect of these +games, you can check out the [Atari +Vault](https://store.steampowered.com/app/400020/Atari_Vault/) or any of +the other classic games sold on Steam by companies like Namco, Atari. +For something like Nintendo, you\'d have to settle for buying used +classic consoles or delve into the world of emulation. -- cgit v1.2.3-70-g09d2